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Pruning an old woody trunk on Cecil Brunner?

14 years ago

I am having a climber pruning crisis =-O I apologize for a long post. I'm hoping I can get some expert input!

I have an old Cecil Brunner that is trained horizontally.

Lately, all new growth seems to be on the left side. There isn't a main big trunk, but instead many canes are woven around on an iron fence. (There is so much growth you can't see the iron fence)

(Picture #1)

On the right, there is a fat old "main" trunk that sits on a long support beam. I used to see long new canes sprouting from this main trunk, and extending the whole length of the bush. But lately, there really isn't much going on.

(Picture #2, #3, #4, #5)

I am replacing the wooden support structure (see pix). The contractor said it needs to be custom built to the right height to accommodate this trunk. However, I have a sinking feeling that the trunk actually needs to be cut down in order to encourage new growth to that side.

My dilemma is that everything on the right is attached to this single trunk. If I cut it down it'll be a long time before I will have flowers for the length of the new fence.

Not only that, if I am cutting the trunk down, there no longer is a need to have the custom made support - the new fence could pretty much be whatever the height I want, and I'll just attach brand new canes as they come out.

For years, I tried to get thick growth (toward ground) to cover up this ugly wooden support. I could never get any flowers below it - just on top. Then it finally hit me - if I had new canes that sprouts from the base, then those can be espaliered and I'll get a thick display to the ground like the other side if I wanted.

Any thoughts? Should I still build the new fence to the height to accommodate the current trunk, and slowly trim it down over several years? The crown of the plant is right behind the center of the purple verbenas in the pix #1.

I appreciate your help very much.

Here is a link that might be useful: Cecil Brunner woody trunk

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Comments (2)

anntn6b
14 years ago
I am awestruck by your rose in your slideshow.
I did grow the cl Cecile Brunners in both Houston and New Orleans. In Houston, it went from my side yard over our joint brick wall and tried to eat a neighbor's patio while they were on vacation. That one never approached the age of yours.
The second one came with our house in Algiers Point and had the gnarly woody look of yours. It was growing in between the slab of our craftsman house and the very thick slab of cement that had been a driveway to the back yard. That space was about two feet wide. A workman took initiative and cut the rose back to eight inches above the ground. I thought it was gone. It came back as if it didn't notice the indignity of the major pruning in midsummer. I tell you this in case you worry about the strength of your leviathon.

You might want to gently remove some of the loose bark where you want to spur new growth. Working in organic fertilizer is small amounts might also spur growth. Working with the soil would seem to me to be the direction where you'd be more likely to see a cause and effect on such a massive rose.

Simply great slide show!
jerijen
14 years ago
I've seen a very old Cl CB like this cut back radically AND transplanted.
This was at the Stagecoach Inn, in Newbury Park, CA.
It took several years, but it came back, better than ever.

I'd bet anyone who sees it now would have trouble believing it had been one plant in a different location, 14 years back.

So -- you CAN.
But there's also a risk that it might go tennies up.
OTOH, the rose could be replaced -- so it's probably not all that much of a risk.

Jeri
(On The Road, in West TX)
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